Wednesday, July 13, 2005
I Am SHOCKED
by venitha
Jim returns from Taiwan and tells me it was even hotter there. I am shocked. Hotter than Singapore on an unshaded sidewalk at noon? I don't believe that's possible.
Of course, Jim has been working, basking daily in Singapore's frigid air-conditioned indoors. I, on the other hand, have been out during the day. I've returned home several times completely drenched in sweat and with a hairstyle reminiscent of the 80s. I asked Bin Chin if you ever get used to Singapore's weather, and he laughed. "My family has been here for generations," he told me. "It's still hot."
And humid. Thanks to the expert tutelage of my brother Vern, the yoda of male itch, Jim was armed against the humidity with lots of boxers. I hadn't considered that chafing would also be a problem for me, but alas, I was not blessed with "independent thighs" like the toothpick thin Singaporean women. I had envisioned staying cool in summer dresses. Erm... that's not going to work if I expect to walk any distance at all. Perhaps I'll have to raid Jim's boxer supply?
So far, I'm sticking (pun intended) to shorts and tank tops and my umbrella. Yes, I admit it; I am using my umbrella in broad daylight just for its shade. It helps, but it also makes me a bit paranoid. In spite of all the company I have in this behavior - honestly, I am not the only one - I can't help but feel like I'm the butt some elaborate practical joke, and I'll eventually turn a corner and run smack into the people from Candid Camera.
For now, I'm giving up on becoming physically accustomed to the heat. Summer won't last forever, right? Heh. Instead, I'm concentrating on becoming mentally accustomed to the heat.
Trust me, this is much harder than it sounds. I've been working on it, but still, every single time I go outside, I'm shocked. SHOCKED. Even when I prepare myself, think before I open the door, It's going to be hot. Really hot. No kidding, really really really hot, I never expect it to be as hot as it turns out to be.
Good thing I've got two years.
venitha
Of course, Jim has been working, basking daily in Singapore's frigid air-conditioned indoors. I, on the other hand, have been out during the day. I've returned home several times completely drenched in sweat and with a hairstyle reminiscent of the 80s. I asked Bin Chin if you ever get used to Singapore's weather, and he laughed. "My family has been here for generations," he told me. "It's still hot."
And humid. Thanks to the expert tutelage of my brother Vern, the yoda of male itch, Jim was armed against the humidity with lots of boxers. I hadn't considered that chafing would also be a problem for me, but alas, I was not blessed with "independent thighs" like the toothpick thin Singaporean women. I had envisioned staying cool in summer dresses. Erm... that's not going to work if I expect to walk any distance at all. Perhaps I'll have to raid Jim's boxer supply?
So far, I'm sticking (pun intended) to shorts and tank tops and my umbrella. Yes, I admit it; I am using my umbrella in broad daylight just for its shade. It helps, but it also makes me a bit paranoid. In spite of all the company I have in this behavior - honestly, I am not the only one - I can't help but feel like I'm the butt some elaborate practical joke, and I'll eventually turn a corner and run smack into the people from Candid Camera.
For now, I'm giving up on becoming physically accustomed to the heat. Summer won't last forever, right? Heh. Instead, I'm concentrating on becoming mentally accustomed to the heat.
Trust me, this is much harder than it sounds. I've been working on it, but still, every single time I go outside, I'm shocked. SHOCKED. Even when I prepare myself, think before I open the door, It's going to be hot. Really hot. No kidding, really really really hot, I never expect it to be as hot as it turns out to be.
Good thing I've got two years.
venitha
